Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg: "The upshot of all of this is that the green consensus across the political parties is, I'm afraid, falling away"

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Nick Clegg has hit out at his Tory coalition colleagues, accusing them of a lack of commitment to the green agenda.

The Deputy Prime Minister said his Liberal Democrats were the only main political parties prepared to stand up for the environment.

Mr Clegg also promised the coalition will not "turn its back" on the green agenda despite the views of some in the Conservative Party.

"Senior members of the Conservative Party now openly attack environmental policies as anti-growth as well as publicly questioning the threat of climate change," he said at an event in central London.

"How much more hard science is needed to convince the climate change deniers that they have got it wrong?

"The upshot of all of this is that the green consensus across the political parties is, I'm afraid, falling away."

Mr Clegg's comments have come as Government advisers said emissions targets should not be watered down.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) said there was "no legal or economic basis" to amend the UK's legally-binding greenhouse gas reduction totals for the period 2023/27.

In an intervention likely to reignite coalition conflict on the issue, the panel of experts said sticking to the target was the "minimum" the UK needed to contribute to global action.

Chancellor George Osborne has warned the UK risks pricing itself out of international markets if it gets "out there in front of the rest of the world" and must keep green measures under review.

But Mr Clegg said the UK should play a leadership role on the green agenda, adding: "We are looked to around the world as being a real pioneer country and being a pioneer government in terms of policy.

"That will remain the case, frankly, regardless of the individual views of individual politicians in different parties. I would ask you to judge us by our actions not by the words, dissenting words, sometimes, of individual politicians who might mutter off-stage they don't like the direction of travel.

"The direction of travel was clearly set in the coalition agreement."

However, campaigners said Mr Clegg's actions in Government did not go far enough, highlighting the failure to set a target to decarbonise the energy sector.

Friends of the Earth's executive director Andy Atkins said: "Nick Clegg says he wants to champion the environment, but he'll be judged on actions not words.

"If Liberal Democrats want to repair their battered green credentials he must show greater resolve - starting with a cast iron guarantee that they will defend the UK's crucial climate targets.

"The reality is that far from making low-carbon the corner stone of the economy, Liberal Democrats have voted down a target to decarbonise the UK power sector and are allowing the Coalition to suck the life out of our once vibrant green sector.

"Nick Clegg must do much better if he wants to convince the electorate that the environment is safe in his hands."